Palestinian Prisoners Day in London demands freedom for the children

inminds28 April 2016

On the international day of solidarity for Palestinian Prisoners, Sunday 17th April, activists from Inminds human rights group took to the South Bank of the River Thames to educate the public on the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, in particular child prisoners, which according to the UN are routinely tortured, and the role British companies like G4S play in those human rights abuses.

Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "Today there are over 400 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, caged in Israeli dungeons. We have spoken to parents who tell us their sons were tortured, that in order to force confessions out of the children the Israeli interrogators even threatened to rape family members. We want to tell the British public that we in the UK have a direct responsibility to stop these human rights abuses because its a British company, G4S, that secures those dungeons, and its Hewlett Packard, which operates in the UK, that provides the IT systems and services that keep those prisons operational. They are committing war crimes in our name."

The cases of child prisoners Mohammad Amarneh, Hamza Hamad and 12 years old school girl Dima al-Wawi were raised. Dima was abducted on her way to school, accused by illegal Israeli settlers of concealing a knife. Both Mohammad Amarneh and Hamza Hamad have been locked up without charge or trial as part of Israel's illegal use of administrative detention. Mohammad was accused of writing a facebook post against the occupation, but when it was discovered he doesn't have a facebook account they just locked him up without any charge on a 3 month administrative detention order. This will mean Mohammad will miss his exams and will have to retake the year. Hamza was given a 6 month administrative detention order as punishment for his father who is an imprisoned resistance fighter from 13 years ago. He has written a book from prison which includes letters to his son Hamza, this has upset the military. Mohammed is caged at Megiddo prison in Israel; Hamza at Ofer prison in the West Bank; and Dima at HaSharon prison in Israel - all three prisons are secured by the British security company G4S.

VIDEO - Palestinian Prisoners Day in London demands freedom for the children

Mohammad Amarneh

Mohammad Amarneh is a 17 years old Palestinian student who was abducted by the Israeli occupation forces last month.

In the early hours of the morning of 2nd March 2016 Israeli occupation forces raided the Palestinian village of Ya'bad near Jenin. They smashed Mohammad's parents door down and surrounded the bedrooms where the family were sleeping. They shackled Mohammad and dragged him out at gunpoint. He was interrogated at Salem detention centre for 39 hours. They accused him of writing a post on facebook against the occupation forces. The page they showed him wasn't his - he doesn't even have a facebook account!

With no evidence of even writing against the occupation, the military judge, ignoring Mohammad's age, just slapped an arbitrary administrative detention order against him saying he is a security threat to the state of Israel. Administrative detention is a form of internment where Palestinians are caged indefinitely without charge or trial - without any way to defend themselves.

Mohammed who is still a child, has been locked up on an initial 3 months administrative order with possibility of the administrative order being extended indefinitely by further 3 month orders.. some prisoners have spent over a decade in extended administrative detention orders without any charge or trial. Use of Administrative detention in this manner is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention and amounts to a war crime.

This administrative order will mean Mohammad will miss his exams and will not be able to apply for university. Instead he will have to repeat the whole year again, assuming the administrative order is not extended further.

Today Mohammad is caged at Megiddo prison in Israel. which is secured by the British security company G4S. G4S provides the central command room at Megiddo from where the entire prison is controlled. This means that we in the UK have a direct responsibility to end these war crimes against Palestinian children like Mohammad. Please ask your local council, universities, banks and supermarkets not to use the services of G4S - thank you!

Drop G4S!
Free the children!
Free Palestine!

Hamza Hamad

16 years old Hamza Hamad is the youngest Palestinian to be held indefinitely without any charge and without any trial , with no way to defend himself.

Hamza is simply being punished by Israel because his father is a resistance fighter from 13 years ago who had successfully ambushed an Israeli army unit which was invading his village in 2003. His father has written a book from prison which includes letters to his son Hamza. This has upset the military.

Over the years Hamza'a family have endured the worst of the occupation, their home has been demolished as punishment by the army, they suffer regular raids and family members are routinely arrested for no reason. The bread winner of the family, Hamza's father, is permanently imprisoned and his family are refused the right to visit him in prison.

Previously, last August, the army raided their home destroying their computers and interrogated Hamza and his younger 10 years old brother. Hamza was interrogated for 22 continuous days at Jerusalem's notorious Russian Compound infamous for torture.

This time, in March 2016, the soldiers just came and dragged 16 years old Hamza straight to Ofer Military Prison without even the formality of an interrogation. They just slapped a 6 month renewable administrative detention order on him - no pretence of accusing him of any crime or formality of a trial - he was being caged to punish him for his father and his book.

Hamza who is still a child, has been locked up on an initial 6 months administrative order with possibility of the administrative order being extended indefinitely by further detention orders.. some prisoners have spent over a decade in extended administrative detention orders without any charge or trial. Use of Administrative detention in this manner is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention and amounts to a war crime.

Today Hamza is caged at Ofer prison on the illegally occupied West Bank. Ofer is secured by the British security company G4S. G4S provides the perimeter defense systems for the walls and the central command room at Ofer from where the entire prison is controlled. This means that we in the UK have a direct responsibility to end these war crimes against Palestinian children like Hamza. Please ask your local council, universities, banks and supermarkets not to use the services of G4S - thank you!

Drop G4S!
Free the children!
Free Palestine!

Dima al-Wawi

Dima al-Wawi is a 12 years old school girl who was abducted on her way to school.

On the fateful morning of 9th February 2016 she made breakfast for her younger sisters, tidied the house, and left for school. To get to school she had to pass the illegal Israeli settlement of Carmei Tzur. Human rights groups have documented how Palestinian children are routinely attacked on their way to school by illegal Jewish settlers. As she approached to go pass the settlement they pounced on her, accusing her of concealing a knife. She was made to lie in the dirt face down at gunpoint and occupation soldiers came and dragged her away.

In contravention of international law she was interrogated without the presence of her parents or a lawyer. She was caged and her parents and her lawyer were still not allowed to see her. The Israeli prison service denied her even a change of clothes, so several weeks later where her parents caught their first and last glimpse of her in military court she was still wearing the same school uniform she had on when she was abducted.

Israels military courts have been described as an efficient production line to imprison Palestinians without any evidence - it has a conviction rate of 99.7%. Dima was found guilty, and is currently caged at Israels notorious HaSharon womens prison.

At HaSharon Palestinian women prisoners have to endure beatings, insults, threats, sexually explicit harassment and sexual violence, and humiliation at the hands of Israeli guards. They are often forced to undergo degrading strip searches during the middle of the night - forced to squat naked and subjected to intrusive internal body searches, for no reason other than as a punitive measure. Women have been beaten and left tied to their bed for a day and a half and not allowed to go to the toilet as punishment for spilling water.

The cells at HaSharon prison are overcrowded, dirty and infected with rodents and cockroaches. There is a total absence of basic hygiene, women have even been denied sanitary pads when menstruating. The heat is unbearable, the windows are closed and covered so that hardly any air or daylight can enter. The food is insufficient, and of inferior quality & dirty, often containing insects & worms, at times there are not enough portions for all the women.

Dima' s parents have not once been allowed to see their young daughter at HaSharon prison. Her mother Mudya says "After she was convicted and sent to prison, I felt a great loss. It is the first time I've felt actual pain in my chest, losing my child and not being able to see her.."

HaSharon is secured by the British security company G4S. They provide the entire security system for the prison including the central command room from where the whole prison is controlled. This means that we in the UK have a direct responsibility to end these crimes against Palestinian children like Dima. Please ask your local council, universities, banks and supermarkets not to use the services of G4S - thank you!

[On Muslim prisoners post-911] "Its important for us not just to be able to fight the case legally but also for somebody like him to get them moral support. One should not look at the fact whether or not somebody is convicted.. one should be looking at the fact there is an individual here who is suffering mentally, physically and needs support - just letters and cards to say to him 'Are you okay? Please do not give up hope' - support of that nature is important for individuals like Isa and others like him.. remember this much - he converted to Islam, he doesn't have a Muslim family - where as others may have a Muslim family, extended members who may write to them and support them. Give moral support, it really does help a prisoner when he is sitting in his cell locked up 23 hours of the day.."